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Waynesville official says $380,000 Depot Street Bridge FEMA claim was routed to FHWA and denied; town to appeal
Summary
Town staff reported Sept. 9 that a $380,000 FEMA reimbursement request for Depot Street Bridge repair was denied after being routed to the Federal Highway Administration, which found the project did not meet its construction specifications. The town will send an objection to FEMA and share the letter with Congressman Edwards.
Town staff told the board Sept. 9 that a $380,000 reimbursement request to FEMA for repairs to the Depot Street Bridge was denied after FEMA routed the claim to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which concluded the project did not meet FHWA construction specifications.
The staff member, identified in the record as Bob, said the town originally submitted the $380,000 claim to FEMA expecting reimbursement. “We submitted the $380,000 for the Depot Street Bridge to FEMA thinking we'd get a check and the return mail only to find out that it was a part of a street system we never heard of before called the USAID Highway and that FEMA said we'd have to apply to the department, the Federal Department of Highway Administration,” he said. After applying with North Carolina DOT’s help, the town’s claim was denied by FHWA because it did not meet FHWA construction specifications.
Bob said he is preparing a letter to FEMA objecting to the denial and will send a copy to Congressman Edwards. He also said he will be traveling to Washington, D.C., with the American Flood Coalition to meet with members of Congress and the Senate to discuss the issue.
Bob told the board the $380,000 represents about two cents on the town’s tax rate and that towns across Haywood County are having trouble getting FEMA reimbursements processed. He said local FEMA staff have been helpful, but the complication is occurring at the federal level.
Why it matters: A denied disaster reimbursement of this size is material to a small town’s budget and could require local taxpayers to cover costs if federal funds are not approved.
Details from the discussion: - Amount claimed: $380,000 for Depot Street Bridge repairs. - Issue: FEMA routed claim to FHWA; FHWA denied the claim citing construction specification nonconformance. - Next steps: staff will send an objection letter to FEMA, copy Congressman Edwards, and pursue meetings with federal lawmakers; staff to re‑submit if directed but warned of risk FEMA may decline resubmission due to processing delays.
Board members discussed a Raleigh News & Observer article describing broader countywide reimbursement problems. The staff member said delays and routing issues have left small towns with significant unreimbursed disaster costs.
